Chapter 593: Sword Path

After the sword energy dissipated, a faint, easily overlooked glow also vanished from the cliff face. Before this light appeared, the cliff showed no abnormalities; there were no perceptible traces of restrictions or spiritual formations.

However, when Qin Sang replaced his Cold Gold Sword and unleashed ordinary sword energy, just as it was about to strike, it was halted by a peculiar force. The impact caused the energy to rapidly dissipate, and the remaining faint wisp floated down harmlessly, still failing to leave a sword mark. The difference was that this time, no faint glow emerged from the stone wall.

Indeed, just as Grandma Jing had said, only sword energy infused with the unique killing intent from the ‘Soul-Nourishing Sword Chapter’ could activate the sword restriction and open this place. Without hesitation, Qin Sang immediately activated his Ebony Sword and struck again.

As successive bursts of sword energy were absorbed by the cliff, the light on its surface grew increasingly distinct. When yet another burst of sword energy vanished into the cliff, Qin Sang suddenly felt a slight tremor beneath his feet. This time, the light on the cliff did not fade. The entire cliff now shimmered with a faint glow, from which a door materialized, revealing an expanse of darkness within.

Qin Sang’s gaze sharpened, and he instantly appeared before the door. With the Ten Directions Yama Banner now useless, Qin Sang concentrated on activating his Ebony Sword, keeping it circling around him for protection.

Beyond the door lay a magnificent ancient hall, dozens of feet tall, its deepest recesses enveloped in darkness, with no end in sight. This was remarkable, considering their position near the mountain’s summit, where the peak was slender. Such a vast ancient hall seemed impossible to exist, leading Qin Sang to wonder what secret method had been used for its construction.

Most remarkably, the floor of the ancient hall was entirely filled with various types of swords! These were not spiritual swords, but stone swords carved from rock, each uniquely shaped. Some were extraordinarily wide and heavy, like mountains, while others were as thin as cicada wings; no two were alike. They were plunged tip-first into the ground, with half of their blades exposed, almost entirely filling the ancient hall. Amidst the countless stone swords, a narrow stone path, wide enough for only one person, led directly into the hall’s depths.

This was a sword path!

Standing at the doorway, Qin Sang’s expression grew solemn. Although these stone swords appeared to be nothing more than ordinary rocks, he could sense a chaotic sword intent permeating the ancient hall. This sword intent was intimately familiar to him, sharing the same origin as the ‘Soul-Nourishing Sword Chapter’. The killing talisman on the Ebony Sword trembled, seemingly with delight, as if it had found its brethren.

Qin Sang gazed intently towards the center of the ancient hall. It was pitch black, nothing discernible, and even his divine sense was useless. Any attempt to probe the hall with it would be instantly crushed by the pervasive sword intent.

What was this place? A trial path?

Qin Sang felt a stir of doubt. He knew that some sword cultivation sects had similar trials, where elders would leave behind remnants of their sword intent to guide disciples in comprehending the Way of the Sword and honing their skills. Shaohua Mountain had a similar place called the Sword Pagoda, which Qin Sang had visited twice. However, due to the unique nature of the ‘Soul-Nourishing Sword Chapter,’ the effects were not significant for him, so he rarely returned after that.

These sword intents, however, were distinctly different from those in Shaohua Mountain’s Sword Pagoda. Each one carried an astonishing killing intent, truly befitting their origin from the ‘Soul-Nourishing Sword Chapter’. Individuals who cultivated the ‘Soul-Nourishing Sword Chapter’ and dedicated themselves to the Way of Killing would likely gain profound insights by traversing this sword path.

Yet, he had only valued this cultivation method for its rapid advancement and potent divine abilities. During his practice, he relied on the Jade Buddha’s protection, treating the chapter as a mere tool, rather than fully immersing himself in the Way of Killing like others. He wondered if he himself could glean any insights from this sword path.

After a moment of hesitation, Qin Sang activated his Ebony Sword, generating a protective shroud of sword energy, and stepped into the ancient hall.

The next instant, the light abruptly dimmed. Immediately, the countless stone swords vibrated in unison, and the hall filled with a prolonged hum of swords. The Ebony Sword was also affected, its sword energy vibrating and humming. In response to the Ebony Sword’s resonance, the scattered sword intent in the air settled.

However, the stone sword closest to Qin Sang vibrated even more rapidly. Immediately, that stone sword flashed, and a streak of sword intent shot forth, reaching him in an instant. Qin Sang was surprised that a seemingly ordinary stone sword could unleash sword intent, and such a potent one at that, causing a slight tremor in his heart.

Fortunately, Qin Sang was prepared. The Ebony Sword flashed before him, squarely blocking the sword intent, its own energy surging to meet the challenge head-on.

Bang!

With a single clash, the Ebony Sword momentarily dimmed, and its sword energy was dispersed. Yet, a wisp of the sword intent persisted, bypassing the Ebony Sword and striking directly at Qin Sang. Qin Sang’s expression shifted slightly. Despite his full-force counterattack, he was outmatched; this sword intent possessed nearly the power of a Golden Core cultivator’s sword strike.

He hastily formed a sword hand seal, about to summon his sword to block, but then he suddenly paused. As if sensing something, he chose to abandon recalling the Ebony Sword, opting instead to resist with his own strength. The sword intent, as fine as a hair, gently landed on Qin Sang’s forehead.

Qin Sang braced himself. Unexpectedly, the sword intent left no physical wound on Qin Sang. Instead, it pierced directly into his primordial spirit space, where it was effortlessly dispersed by the Jade Buddha’s golden light.

Indeed!

Qin Sang was secretly excited, having had a vague inkling just moments before. This place, too, followed the familiar pattern, similar to Shaohua Mountain’s Sword Pagoda. This seemingly terrifying sword strike was in fact merely a true sword intent sealed within the stone sword, not genuine sword energy. Its purpose was to invade the primordial spirit, likely to deter disciples with insufficient cultivation.

If this was indeed a trial ground, it seemed only Golden Core stage disciples could pass through with ease. With his current cultivation, without the Jade Buddha’s protection, he would have to proceed cautiously, slowly breaking through each sword intent one by one. Even if the journey were smooth, it was uncertain whether he could reach the depths of the ancient hall before the Ziwei Palace closed. He recalled Grandma Jing mentioning that cultivating the ‘Soul-Nourishing Sword Chapter’ and breaking through to the Golden Core stage would offer a greater chance of finding Senior Qingzhu’s relics. Her words were proving true.

Fortunately, it was merely sword intent assailing the soul, which the Jade Buddha could easily repel. For him, this sword path was a clear road!

However, Qin Sang did not rely solely on the Jade Buddha to simply charge forward. Just now, the instant the Ebony Sword clashed with the sword intent, Qin Sang seemed to glimpse a bloody scene. Before he could fully comprehend it, he was startled by the sword intent’s power. Reflecting on it now, such scenes were likely left by ancient masters. The sword intent contained their profound understanding of cultivation techniques, the Way of the Sword, and the Way of Killing. If he could observe them more closely, he would undoubtedly gain something.

Qin Sang’s understanding of the cultivation method was nowhere near as profound as Senior Qingzhu’s, who had immersed himself in it and progressed step by step. He might not immediately grasp anything. However, simply committing them to memory for later contemplation would surely aid his future cultivation and understanding of the killing talismans. It might even accelerate his process of inscribing killing talismans! With no danger involved, why not?

His entry into the ancient hall had been remarkably smooth, without any delays, and he had ample time reserved. Acting on his thought, Qin Sang continued to activate his Ebony Sword and strode forward.